The Fantagraphics EC Artists' Library #36
"Kamen's Kalamity!" is a chilling, darkly comic tale from the EC Artists' Library, spotlighting the eerie, expressive art of Jack Kamen—here both penciling and inking—with lettering by Jim Wroten. Set in a gothic castle where a spoiled prince forces a village boy to take the blame for his misdeeds, the story builds a creeping dread around a Christmas Eve visit home, where a father’s plea to the king takes a horrifying turn. A 35.00 USD comic from 2024, it’s a standout in the collection for its unsettling tone and masterful visual storytelling.
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Long ago in a huge castle lived a King [Irving], his Queen [Matilda] and their only son, Tarby, who was a real brat! The King decides to go into the village and forcibly take another young lad to be the Prince's companion, hoping that would straighten him out. It didn't, but the King gave the Royal order that if Tarby acted up, the other young boy would be whipped instead....and he became the official "whipping boy" at court. With Christmas coming on, the whipping boy was looking forward to what Santa would bring him....but Tarby told him that "bad boys" as he wouldn't get anything from Santa. On the day before Christmas, the whipping boy was returned to his own parents for 24 hours, and he spent time telling them that he was whipped for the bad things that Tarby did. He wanted to know if Santa would still bring him something for Christmas, and his Dad assured him that he would, then went to see the King to beg him to do just that. The King laughed at the man....but the next morning, as the whipping boy woke up and checked out his sock, he saw a presents in his stocking....and the boy's father saw his stocking filled also: with the bloody corpse of the King!
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).